Contemplative Prayer Collective

Students and faculty from the Department of Counseling and Pastoral Care sharing pieces of their collective journey in being aware of God's presence

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A CP Testimony

       Several semesters ago Dr. Brian Russell introduced our class to the practice of Centering Prayer and recommended the book Centering Prayer and the Healing of the Unconscious by Murchadh O Madagain for further study.   This introduction also coincided with an interest I was developing in other monastic practices that I had become interested in while taking my first Church History class.         

Primed and motivated to investigate this particular spiritual discipline I began to faithfully dedicate a significant portion of my lunch break to centering prayer.   I would come home from work, eat a quick pre-prepared lunch, and settle myself under the tree in my backyard to quiet my mind and emotion. (See attached picture)       

I can't believe the results I am having.  One of the deep personal revelations this practice brought to my conscious mind, as I learned to quiet my internal thought dialogue, was how some of my actions were being motivated by a subconscious desire to "please people”.  In comprehending this by God's grace I have been more able to let that need go, which has freed me from some anxiety I was experiencing concerning peoples’ opinions.          

Centering Prayer has affected my life in positive ways as I have sought to quiet my mind and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal and heal.  I have been sharing it with friends as opportunity permits and I share this testimony now to encourage others to continue in the practice and to introduce people to the potential benefits associated with the journey.

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CP and the “Silent Fog”

I've got a wonderful quote for you.  Have you ever had those moments of frustration in CP?  Have you ever been irritated at your seeming inability to see and hear God when you are truly making an effort to say yes to Him?  Have there been times when you couldn't seem to penetrate that "silent fog" between you and the One you love?  Thomas Merton has some thoughts about this very situation.  "Suppose your meditation takes you to the point where you are baffled and repelled by the cloud that surrounds God?... Far from realizing him, you begin to realize nothing more than your own helplessness to know him, and you begin to think that meditation is something altogether hopeless and impossible. And yet the more helpless you are, the more you seem to desire to see him and to know him. The tension between your desires and your failure generates in you a painful longing for God which nothing seems able to satisfy. Do you think your meditation has failed? On the contrary, this bafflement, this darkness, this anguish of helpless desire is a fulfillment of meditation. For if meditation aims above all at establishing in your soul a vital contact of love with the living God, then as long as it only produces images and ideas and affections that you can understand, feel and appreciate, it is not yet doing its full quota of work. But when it gets beyond the level of your understanding ... it is really bringing you close to God."                                                                                                        

                                           -- Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation

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Hope

Centering Prayer is a practice of hope.  As we quietly pray, we practice saying “yes” to God’s invitation, giving Him our attention above all else – in all else.  Centering ourselves in God’s presence we may not realize that we make a statement.  That action is a statement of hope. We are declaring, “I trust You more than anyone or anything else! My hope is in You!”  No matter what life may look like – we keep returning to the One who says, “I’m here.  I’ve always been here.  I’ve got you!” 

It’s can be hard at times.  The world may seem as if it is out of control.  Circumstances may feel crazy – even threatening.  But, as we pray, little by little, we learn we are most secure centered on the One who is always present.  We find Him in everything.  His presence shapes our view of Reality.  He is present.  That's our constant.  He is trustworthy.  In this we find hope.

Please read the words below from Eugene Peterson about hope, and then take a moment to experience a musical moment of worship from Vertical Church in Chicago, IL.        

Hoping does not mean doing nothing. It is not fatalistic resignation. 

It means going about our assigned tasks, confident that God will provide the meaning and the conclusions.

It is not compelled to work away at keeping up appearances with a bogus spirituality.

It is the opposite of desperate and panicky manipulations, of scurrying and worrying.

And hoping is not dreaming. It is not spinning an illusion or fantasy to protect us from our boredom or our pain.

It means a confident, alert expectation that God will do what he said he will do.

It is imagination put in the harness of faith. It is a willingness to let God do it his way and in his time.

It is the opposite of making plans that we demand that God put into effect, telling him both how and when to do it.

That is not hoping in God but bullying God.

I pray to GOD -- my life a prayer -- and wait for what he'll say and do. My life's on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning. [1]

[1] E. H. Peterson. (1980). A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society, p. 132.

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A CP Testimony

Below you will find the testimony of a dear brother.  He is describing an experience in CP that he has never had, but it was very special for him. His work in CP is what most of us experience as we meet God in silence, accepting his invitation to relate together.   Although this kind of testimony is not typical, it is a beautiful experience that I wanted to share with you. He has given me his permission.  Let me know what you think.  

I entered the practice of Centering Prayer at 4:30 am.  I have done this in the past, and begun recently, using an app called “Centering Prayer” by Contemplative Outreach ltd. out of Colorado. The app walks you through an opening Scripture, an opening sound to start the 20 minutes of silence, and a closing sound following the 20 minutes of silence, and then a closing scripture or word.

You use a word or phrase to help you stay focused on Jesus, to come into His presence and stay there. Any time your mind starts to wander, you say the word or phrase gently, and it helps guide you back to focusing on Jesus.

My word (phrase) was: Show me, Jesus.

I am facing a tough assignment of ministering and loving well while overseeing a secular, high intensity environment. My discursive prayer has been for peace, patience, and wisdom to represent Jesus well in that place.  I want Jesus to show me how to do this, how to love well, how to spend time with the Father to draw from that source of strength, how to lead well…

As I used my sacred phrase, “Show me, Jesus," I found myself adapting it. It shifted from "Show me, Jesus," as in, show me the way I should go or show me what I should do, Jesus.   It became "Show me Jesus."  No comma, no task, no teaching, no guiding…. but solely, simply, profoundly His very presence.

With my eyes closed as per the practice of Centering Prayer, He appeared in front of me, standing directly in front of me. I physically turned my head, eyes still closed, up towards His face. In my minds eye, I saw His face smiling at me. I began to weep. I prayed, “Show me, Jesus” and instead, Jesus showed up.

I physically cleared off the chair next to me and asked Him to sit. He sat with me, and we held hands like a child and a parent. And I just kept weeping.  He just kept smiling. I finally stopped crying and just sat with Him for a bit. Then I thanked Him for loving me, and for loving my wife, and for loving our children. Then I started weeping again.

After I stopped crying again, I asked what He wanted me to tell people about Him. He began to fade, and His smile dipped just a bit. I had a moment of slight panic as if He were leaving me, but then I realized this wasn’t about a task or a job or a calling. This was about the pure, simple, profound presence of Jesus right at that moment.

I said, “you just want me to be with you right now, don’t you?”  He fully appeared again, and the big smile returned. We sat again for a bit.

Some might say that my friend stopped practicing the discipline of CP.  He deviated from the typical structure that emphasizes the 4 Rs -- don't resist thoughts, don't retain thoughts, don't react to thoughts, simply RETURN -- even when the thoughts are wonderful.  It's true in a technical sense that he got "caught up" in a transfixing image of Jesus in the moment.  But I can't blame him.  Can you?  Faced with the same experience, I believe I would have done the same.  As I reflect on his amazing and intimate encounter, I wonder if my brother might have missed the gift in the moment if he had "returned" too quickly.  

Of course, when I put myself in his place, I know that the temptation going forward might be to expect this kind of image in the future.  I might be tempted to judge my regular day-to-day contemplative prayer life by a new standard.  I'd have to be careful not to make this moment the expectation moving forward.  I think I might have to intentionally put away expectations for another ecstatic experience so I don't miss the more common grace of the present moment.  CP is a Philippians 4:12 practice where we learn how to "abound" in those moments when God feels particularly close.  We also learn how to be "content" in those moments when we don't necessarily feel anything noteworthy at all.  He is present in all those experiences.  He is always present!  When I realize this Reality, I can expect less and attend more.  I can rest from my presumptions.  How about you??

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Love Personified

Please take a moment to consider the reflections of David Benner on the "heart of Christian spirituality."  He considers below the question that is at the heart of CP practice -- what signal transformation though my prayer life?  It's all about love.  We receive Love’s invitation every moment of our lives.  Am I becoming a person who passes along love to self and others?  Is the Person of Love becoming personified in you and me?  See what Benner has to say.  

God’s identification with creation through the incarnation is the second installment of the Great Love Story. Realizing that we had forgotten our story, God sent Jesus as the personification of love. The Son came to reveal the character of the Father. The Son came to bring us back to the Father—back to love.

Jesus came to remind us what true love really is. Christians and non-Christians alike widely affirm the nobility of Jesus’ character. He was so obviously a good man. His love was obvious, his teachings were noble. But his life, death and resurrection all point us beyond this. They point us toward the character of God. This was what Jesus himself taught. With truly remarkable boldness he asserted that his life revealed God. The love he demonstrated was the love that was his source. It was the love he knew from eternity as the Son of the prodigious Father.

Who else, then, to better remind us of our own story? Who else to better bring the faint residual memories of the garden of love in from the periphery of consciousness to the core of our being? The story of Jesus is the story of love personified. We miss the point when we simply try to do what he tells us to do. And we miss the point when we merely try to follow the pattern of his life. His life points us back to his own Source. His life is intelligible only when it is understood as the personification of divine love.

But genuinely encountering Love is not the same as inviting Jesus into your heart, joining or attending a church, or doing what Jesus commands. It is the experience of love that is transformational. You simply cannot bask in divine love and not be changed.  Jesus came to lead us back to Love. He came to play the central role in the world’s greatest love story. But it was not, of course, simply an enactment. He was the Son of Love who came to show us the love that is our destiny, our healing and our fulfillment. He came to reveal the perfect love for which we long and to which we belong. And he came to show us what surrender to such love would look like. 

From: David Benner (2003) Surrender to Love: Discovering the Heart of Christian Spirituality

Pausing for Reflection:

What do you feel about this idea that Jesus through the Holy Spirit invites you in each and every moment to experience his deep love so that you can embody it and pass that experience along to others?

Prayer:

Grant me the grace to allow Jesus to lead me into a transformationally full knowing of Perfect Love

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Home by Another Way

Here's quick message and a song link below from James Taylor's Never Die Young album.  Maybe you've heard of JT??

CP is not the only way to pray, but it is certainly an effective way that can broaden our prayer lives.  I remember a conversation with a student researcher at the University of Louisville who once told me that Christians ought to "play up" that we have other types of prayer.  He had only seen Christians "tell God all the things they want and expect Him to give it to them."  Being Buddhist, he was truly amazed that we had millennia of praying contemplatively.  He humbly admitted, "I have just never seen it or heard about it from Christians.  I'd like to hear more."

CP is another way that we find Home.  It is a different way of praying, but it is even more at variance with the culture of the world.  When we practice CP, we are turning away from the ways that the world says to be strong and powerful, and we are turning toward the Creator who invites us to live as He has made us to live.  We are made to live in His presence.  Every time we pray, we are practicing being Home.   In this "deep cut" classic from James Taylor (below), King Herod represents all that the world says is powerful, but there's a big downside.  The Magi represent those who choose to go Home by another way, and their choice makes all the difference.  See what you think about the song -- it's creative and clever (Lyrics below).  Just remember that when you practice CP, you are a "wise guy" or gal, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX9oX37QW2A

HOME BY ANOTHER WAY

Those magic men the Magi Some people call them wise Or Oriental, even kings Well anyway, those guys They visited with Jesus They sure enjoyed their stay Then warned in a dream of King Herod's scheme They went home by another way Yes they went home by another way Home by another way Maybe me and you can be wise guys too And go home by another way We can make it another way Safe home as they used to say Keep a weather eye to the chart on high And go home another way Steer clear of royal welcomes Avoid a big to-do A king who would slaughter the innocents Will not cut a deal for you He really, really wants those presents He'll comb your camel's fur Until his boys announce they've found trace amounts Of your frankincense, gold and myrrh Time to go home by another way Home by another way You have to figure the Gods saying play the odds And go home by another way We can make it another way Safe home as they used to say Keep a weather eye to the chart on high And go home another way Home is where they want you now You can more or less assume that you'll be welcome in the end Mustn't let King Herod haunt you so Or fantasize his features when you're looking at a friend Well it pleasures me to be here And to sing this song tonight They tell me that life is a miracle And I figured that they're right But Herod's always out there He's got our cards on file It's a lead pipe cinch, if we give an inch Old Herod likes to take a mile It's best to go home by another way Home by another way We got this far to a lucky star But tomorrow is another day We can make it another way Safe home as they used to say Keep a weather eye to the chart on high And go home another way                

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Contemplative Listening

Here's an excerpt from alum Gene Yotka's Awakening newsletter (www.theawakeninginstitute.com).  He is a retired pastor and counselor, who now works as a spiritual director in Titusville, FL.  He asks us to consider how well we listen to God and others.  Indeed, it might be said that a sign of a contemplative life is found in our increasing capacity to listen as Gene describes below.

Contemplation, in fact, is both the cause and the result of our work to develop listening hearts and minds. As we intentionally turn our attention to God, begin to contemplate God, God will bless us with the grace to hear; thus, moving us toward ever deepening levels of contemplation. To truly listen one must put agenda aside and become wholly open to the present moment. We know we have come to contemplative listening by the changes it makes in our lives. In fact, one who practices contemplative must be open for the possibility of change; change of heart, change of mind, even change of action, all in accordance to the One, God, to whom we are listening. Thus, to listen contemplatively means to come before God with great vulnerability and willingness to let God, to whom we are listening produce a change us, not according to our will but, according to the divine will.  True listening must include hearing with ears fully open, fully exposed, and tuned in to the presence of God and self with God.

“We are listening for more than what is consciously expressed. We listen for the very voice, presence, or absence of God in the soul, the core of our lives where meaning is created.” Jean Stairs, Listening for the Soul, pg. 17

Contemplative listening is not active listening, or therapeutic listening, in which a counselor and counselee create rapport to solve an issue or problem. Contemplative listening is a position in which we seek a deeper rapport with God, to hear God with our heart, soul, mind and body, to respond to God, and to live a with God life. Contemplative listening brings together heaven and earth. It is a union in which heaven and earth, overlap and interlock. The temporal and the eternal are no longer seen as separate things but are known as being in harmony and in union with God, other people and all creation. True listening means to attend to the present moment without forgetting where the moment came from, or being closed to where it is going. . . . To listen contemplatively means to listen from a place.  This place is “in Christ.”  How many people do we truly listen to “in Christ” each day? To listen contemplatively is to be a non-anxious presence in the room.  By simply being present, setting aside anxious thoughts, we avoid becoming barriers to hearing God in our midst for ourselves and to others. “It is more about creating conditions that allow God to stir the mind and heart than it is instructing about God and spiritual matters.” Jean Stairs, Listening for the Soul, pg. 17

What a great word for those of us who call ourselves Christian counselors! Thanks Gene.  

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CP: Learning to be Less Forgetful

A person asked a few weeks ago about the best "real world" way to describe the benefits of contemplative prayer for a Christian.  That really made me think! In the end, I decided on an example from my own life -- my marriage.  (Before I go on, let me explain first to those who are single.  My example fit the person who asked the question, but it may not seem to fit as well those of you who are not married.  Please don't shut off my example just yet!  I believe that what I am describing can easily fit for close friends or other significant relationships, but for me, Carol is one of my best friends.  She happens to be my wife, too.)   When Carol and I accepted our mutual invitation into life together, I began to learn how forgetful I was.  Yes, I was forgetful about important anniversaries every once in a while, but on the whole I actually did pretty well with those obvious events.  My forgetting was more subtle and even insidious.   I began to notice that there were a number of moments when Carol had to ask, "When you said yes to that invitation, did you think about asking me?" or "When you made that decision, might you have included me?"  You see, I still had a brain that was trained to think about me first and foremost -- my needs, my desires, my goals, my agenda.  My parents tried to help me be less ego-centric, so don't blame them.  I can't even blame it on being a Baby Boomer -- growing up in the "Me Generation."  I had simply learned to take care of myself.  My forgetfulness was connected with my version of self-centeredness and self-protectiveness. It didn't take long for me to realize that my old way of thinking had to change.  Simply said, Carol's presence was an invitation to adjust to the reality of marriage.  I needed to remember Carol in all my daily decision-making.  There was no decision too small.  In a real way, I learned that it was best to live my life as if Carol was always with me -- in every moment.  Little by little, I realized that this was indeed the reality and not some hypothetical situation.  She was with me all the time, even when she was not actually present physically.  If you got me, you got her, too.  That's actually what we vowed to one another in our marriage ceremony.  No matter what might happen in life, we had each other's backs.  We'd remember each other before anyone else -- till death do us part.  I promised a remembering love in which I always had her on my mind -- to see things from her perspective as well as my own.  I promised not to ever forget that she was always with me. I've had 37 years to work on refreshing my memory of Carol every moment of every day.  As I practiced, I really have become less and less forgetful of my relational reality.  I'm doing better all the time.  Contemplating her presence changes everything.  That process changes me.  

I see CP in much the same way, but even more profoundly.  My contemplative prayer practice helps me to keep my memory of God refreshed. I am practicing every day, multiple times a day, in short breaths and longer periods, to live in a relational Reality that I can often forget -- especially when my attention is ensnared by all that is around me.  I am learning to remember that God is intimately present in each moment.  He is inviting me to remember our secure friendship (John 15:15), the one in which He chooses me minute by minute.   CP is about developing a life of remembering. Remembering that God is remembering me in each moment.  That's a major factor in what it means to be contemplative.  I practice His presence, as Brother Lawrence's life announced.  Wherever I go, whatever I do, He is always with me -- even when I forget.  If you get me, it is my "intention" that you get me while I am remembering Him.  That's when I am at my best.  As the hymn writer said in Be Thou My Vision, He is my best thought, by day or by night.  Contemplating His presence changes everything.   It changes me . . . and maybe you, too. At the end of my monologue, my friend who had asked the question said, "That's pretty simple.  Contemplative prayer is when we practice remembering God is really here, right now, offering friendship.  We just can't forget to say yes."

I think that's right.  Of course, some of my practicing sessions don't always feel simple, but I've vowed to keep my promise to my Friend.    

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CP: An Offering to Him and a Gift to Us

Here’s a insightful piece from Kacie Bledsoe about her own growing practice of Centering Prayer.  Kacie, a first year MAMH student, comes for noon prayers and is working toward a CP certificate.  Read below about her current experiences. 

Intention, our intent, in performing Centering Prayer (CP) is fundamental.  As our Contemplative Prayer Collective blog last week explained, we often look for an applause or reward from God for our performance in prayer.  I am frequently guilty of performing, rather than practicing, in hopes for a moment of inspiration, a vision, or some other acknowledgment from God. In considering the origin of this trend, it’s easy to identify the catalysts -- the blessings that leave me expecting and wanting more. 

As with any offering to God, we are missing the mark if we lift up our prayers with certain expectations.  CP is an offering; an offering of our time.  And as with any tithe, we open ourselves up to blessings when our intent and consistency is rooted in love for God (Malachi 3:10, Luke 6:38).    

I have received many blessings as a result of my Centering Prayer practice, and I have heard testimonies of many more.  Frankly, there are far too many for one simple girl’s blog post.  After reflecting on some of my journal writings, I am prompted to share this one.

“We were on our way, driving forward when we really wanted to turn backward. My anxiety levels had reached their usual peaks when we make this trip and because of recent circumstances, they were posturing for new heights.  My heart rate was fast, my breathing uncomfortably strained, and my head was light. With eyes closed, I took a long deep breath and whispered my sacred word.  My heart and my breathing slowed.  After some time, I tentatively opened my eyes, somewhat afraid that my anxiety would resurface as soon as I opened them.  After some time, the anxiety did eventually return and so I closed my eyes, repeated my sacred word, and returned to my inner room with Him. After a couple of returns, I didn’t need to return.  My anxiety subsided and I could breathe easy…”

If I had to guess, I would say that most of us in the practice have similar stories. Through a faithful centering prayer discipline, our parasympathetic nervous systems (think: rest and digest) are trained to be enacted on-demand.  My CP practice gives me better control of my physiological response (slower heart rate, etc) in the midst of distressing moments.  That sounds “sciency,” but in true Asbury fashion, we ingrate science and theology and envision that God’s gracious gifts can be given through the neurons of our brain.

The very practice/act of centering prayer is transformed from an offering to him and into a gift to us.  I try not to practice centering prayer for the purpose of training my brain, BUT because I practice Centering Prayer he gifts me with a greater ability to find His calm in the storms.  

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The Story of the Other Prodigal -- A Contemplative Review

Last week, we considered the younger son in the Story of the Prodigal (Luke 15:11-32).  This week I want to reflect on the rest of the story.   I was walking yesterday morning, caught up in my centering prayer routine.  I must admit that my prayer practice on this day was more filled with returning to my sacred word/image than an extended sense of Presence.  My mind kept being drawn away to a few heavier issues with imposing deadlines attached to them.  I did make some "headway" clearing space to say "yes" to God's invitation to sit with Him, but I was really working at it.  It did not feel like I was getting much help from God for my efforts.   And then I turned around and saw this scene.  It was beautiful!  I was transfixed.  The camera on my phone did not do justice to the Reality of the moment.  And yet, I could have missed it entirely.  I could have walked right past it.  

Up to this point, I had been so caught up trying hard to say "yes" to God -- doing CP right -- that I missed this glorious display of God's magnificence (Rom 1:20). His "power and nature" were literally on display behind my back as I walk up this hill in my neighborhood.  My mind was concentrating so intentionally on my practice that I almost missed the Presence.  I only needed to turn around, adjust my expectations, and rest in the Reality that was literally dawning on me.  He had been there all the time.  What an overwhelming grace moment!  It had little to do with trying hard.   It had everything to do with resting in my imperfect performance in prayer and receiving His blessing in the middle of my unwanted distractedness.   It made me reflect on the older brother in the Story of the Prodigal.  He was in many ways the opposite of his younger brother.  He stayed home and worked diligently for his father.  He did his work, as expected for an elder son.  He performed his duties dutifully.  In fact, on the day of the celebration for his returned brother, he was so busy "doing the right thing" that he missed his father's glorious display.   More than that, it seemed from the elder brother's angry words that he may have been doing his duty day after day, yet missing his father completely.  Like his younger brother, he didn't know his father either.  Not really.  In the midst of his dedicated performance, his efforts distracted him from the reward already present in the relationship with his father.  He got lost in his labors -- even though he saw them as being for his father.  Listen to his words:  "All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends."         The elder son wanted evidence that his father was present for him.  He longed for some reward from his father -- some sign that his efforts were not unnoticed or unappreciated.  Regretfully, I can relate to this demand at times in practicing CP.  Can't you?  Much like my morning walk yesterday, I am caught up in my ritual, concentrating on method or "technique," trying to practice the right way.  All the time, hoping that my efforts will be worth something.  Expecting God to give me a sign of his favor.  The elder brother wanted a goat for a party with friends.  I am often wanting some sort of prayer experience to which I can point and say, "That felt relaxing!  That felt intimate!  That was rewarding!  That was definitely worth the effort!"   When you and I fall into that trap, we could be turning our back on glory.   We could be facing the wrong way from grace.  We could be walking the wrong way, taking a path that misses the momentous Reality that is breaking in.  Practically speaking, we are using CP for a purpose that is less about the Father and more about his gifts.  We may want relaxation, intimacy, or some other rewarding outcome, but our kind Father is actually inviting us into something much deeper and settling. He says to us, "Trust me.  I am with you.  That's Reality!  Nothing can separate you from my love.  Nothing!  Even when your prayers yield less than you want, you are with Me.  We are in that prayer experience together.  Even when prayer seems like a fight, trust me!  I hold you when you cannot seem to maintain a hold on me." So the next time in CP you are tempted to say, "Nothing was accomplished today.  That 20 minutes was wasted time."  Remember: perfect performance is not an indicator of God's presence with you or evidence of some sort of spiritual power in you.  In fact, gritting your teeth and working hard may at times be a distraction to the Reality that is dawning.  If your intention is to be with him, nothing can separate you from him.   Not really!  Rest in the Spirit of Romans 8, which reads,   Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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The Prodigal Son through the Lens of CP

  The story of the prodigal son is a classic vignette from the Gospel of Luke (15:11-32).  Most persons, even those who are not believers, have heard some version of the son who walked away from his caring father, captivated by "a distant country."  You remember what happened.   Completely distracted, he forgot about his father and gave himself to a "wild" life.  He became absorbed in chasing whatever came into his mind.  He "squandered his wealth," seemingly oblivious to his ever shrinking finite resources.  He was so caught up in this new "country" that he didn't notice that he was entering famine. 

I don't know about you, but I find that "famine" of a physical, emotional, and spiritual variety often comes when I have forgotten my Father and become completely absorbed in "a distant country."  All my energies are given to the "wild" ride of giving myself to a reality without the Father.  Inevitably, I wind up depleted and "hired out," feeling a loss of control, wondering where my supports have gone.  Life apart from the Father always ends up in drought for me.  What about you? The story says that the son "came to his senses" and remembered his father.  It took some quiet time.  Solitary confinement with pigs will give anyone pause!     Ashamed of his distracted and wayward life, he decided to return to his father.  But before he returned, he made up a nice speech -- full of contrition.  He planned to earn his father's good graces by his humility.  He would promise to do better.  Some sort of groveling seemed in order.   He did not anticipate the response that was in store for him.  His plan was completely unnecessary for returning to his father.  Unbeknownst to the son, the father never gave up hope that the son would return.  He was always watching for any sign of homecoming.  The welcome mat was consistently out.  It was a permanent reminder of the father's desire to recover relationship with his "lost" son.  Ever hopeful!   I often think the same way as the son.  Groveling does seem necessary in my way of thinking.  When I realize that I am away from the Father, captivated by all my thoughts, feelings, sensations, and experiences, I am prone to castigate myself for my poor performance.  I feel ashamed that I forgot Him, and it feels necessary to promise that it won't happen again.  But each time, the Father invites me back without any sign of "Will you try harder?"  He never asks, "Will you do better?"  Instead, he seems "filled with compassion" at my return and offers an embrace that settles every question about His true feelings and my true status.  The son found the same response from his father.

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Is that the reception that you imagine from your Father and my Father each and every time that you return from distraction?  That's the Reality depicted in the Jesus' parable.  The Son who knows the Father best created this unforgettable image for us.  By the work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus lived in the embrace of the Father every moment of every day.  He knows what He is talking about. 

If you don't imagine that the Father runs to you, throws His arms around you, and kisses you, every single time you return in CP, then you may want to think about the difference between your view and Jesus' view.  Jesus seemed to suggest that when you and I return Home, the Father is "filled with compassion" that quickly becomes joyful "celebration."  What a powerfully inviting image!   Want to make your heavenly Father joyful?  You know what to do!  Simply return.  He is waiting now.

[contemplative-prayer-collec-blog]

Practicing Centering: God is the Pole; We are the Ball

At our CP prayer gathering this week, we will consider the "basics" of Centering Prayer practice.  It's always helpful -- from time to time -- to remember the "essentials" when it comes to praying in this contemplative way.  We periodically need a moment to remember the CP "non-negotiables" because our own contemplative process may assume a form that becomes in some ways unique to us and our relationship with God. 

There's nothing wrong with that unique relational experience -- your friendship with God may look different in some ways than my friendship with God.  You and I are different, and God relates uniquely to us.  We certainly have common needs, but we have to admit that our needs are also diverse.  We both need God in similar and different ways.  There are no formulas, but there is a constant.  The constant is God Himself -- the One who is responsive and yet unchanging.  Yes, the One who invites us to know Him is constant, though our experiences may vary.  Have you ever played Tether Ball (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5tLrVT3sxg).  He is pole! 

Let's take a look at the "basics" of our CP practice, based on who God is.  The first 3 are the constant conditions -- God statements.  The last 5 are our responses.

1.  God is always present in each moment.  He never leaves or forsakes us. No matter the circumstances, the Father is present through the Holy Spirit by the work of the Son.  He is always moving in response to our lives and working to be intimately known as our constant.

2.  God is constantly inviting us to know Him as the "centerpiece" of every experience.  This is Reality, whether we pay attention or not.  To live without this awareness means that we live to some degree in unreality.  We can live delusionally from moment-to-moment if we are not mindful that He is present and inviting us to know Him -- now.  

3.  God is simply asking in each moment that we say "yes" to his invitation.  We can "consent" to His offer to be together or not.  We are free to choose whether we live in Reality or not.  When we choose to consent and accept his invitation, we are praying.       

4.  We acknowledge that we are not good at remembering God from moment to moment.  We are distracted by so many thoughts, feelings, sensations, and experiences.  We seem to be compelled to try vigilantly to manage all of these things.  We get caught up trying to control our life -- to survive.  We forget God's "present tense" presence and His constant invitation.  We forget that we are never alone.

5.  We acknowledge that we are not good at accepting God's invitation.  It requires practice to say "yes."  So, we use a "sacred word or image" as a place-holder to help our attentional deficits.  The word or the image is simply a meaningful reminder and has no power in and of itself.  It is not a mantra; it basically is an RSVP.  When we say our sacred word or remember our sacred image, it's a conscious signal that we are intending to return to the One who is central in each and every moment.  When we are with Him, we stop the word or image and give Him our full attention.

6.  We acknowledge that we are not good at staying centered on Him.  When we find ourselves distracted again, we don't waste time trying harder or promising Him we will do better.  We give up the idea that we can perform well enough to master this method of praying.  We realize that being centered is a gift to be received by grace.  Our part of this relationship is making space to receive his graceful presence.  As they say at Contemplative Outreach, we don't expend precious time Resisting, Retaining, or even Reacting to other things -- internal or external.

7.  We simply Return to Him when we realize that we are distracted or captivated by anything.  We turn our attention toward our true Home.  Like a prodigal child, we use our sacred word or image to declare that we are turning our face toward our Father.  We return to making space in each moment for the One who wants to be known for who He is in that moment. 

8.  We silently rest in the quiet security of this loving encounter with God.  We are praying contemplatively.  It's a gift to be received.

[contemplative-prayer-collec-blog]

Requirement for Soul Care: Silence

As Asbury alumnus, counselor, and spiritual director, Gene Yotka reminds us in the (edited-for-space) excerpt from his Awakening newsletter, silence is integral for the care of our soul and the renewal of God's image by the work of the Holy Spirit.  Hear from Gene below.     For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation (Psalm 62:1, NRSV)   A  word-for-word  rendering  of  the Hebrew text in  this verse could be translated, “Surely, toward God my  soul takes  a  silent,  still  waiting,  repose;  from  God  is  my salvation”.  This  is  our action,  but it is  not complete.  Our hope  of  deliverance,  salvation,  is not  in  our [waiting] self,  but  is  in God.   For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him (Psalm 62:5, NRSV).   A  word-for-word  rendering  of  the  Hebrew  text  in  this verse could be translated, “Only towards God, be silent my soul, for from God is my (ground) hope.” Notice how the psalmist is speaking to his own soul, telling his own soul to be   silent   and   wait   in   a   posture   that   is   decidedly   and resolutely positioned toward God, as  the  ground  for  hope. This is followed by [the psalmist's declaration] . . .

He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken (Psalm 62:6, NRSV). [What keeps us from being shaken?]  We no longer perceive and respond solely to outer, self-filtered stimuli to which we respond reactively, as we are now graced with the ability to become aware of and receptive to an inner stimulus that  comes  from the  interaction  of  our  still, silent soul being touched by the healing, expansive hand of God, to which we are now able to be more fully receptive. In this, our responses come from God’s interaction with the core of who we are, as those created in the image of God.  In other words, we no longer react to a confusing world around us.  Instead, we live with receptiveness to what God is renewing at the ground of our soul. 

We grow to unshakeable because of our deepening faith in God’s abiding presence in each and every moment.  He gets our attention!

[contemplative-prayer-collec-blog]

CP: Tuning into the Mind of Christ

I came across this passage from Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest. It reminded me of the discipline that we engage in CP.  I like Chamber's use of the Moffatt paraphrase that suggests that we need to take "every project prisoner" (I Corinthians 10:5).  In other words, everything we do is done with the awareness that God is present, inviting us to share His perspective in each "doing" moment.  As we keep saying yes to His invitation, we quietly experience His mind.   Something happens when we are intentionally close enough to "get inside His Head" -- so to speak.  We have a chance to think His thoughts with Him.  Instead of jumping impulsively into activity, we are "re-minded" first about what He might be thinking in the moment.  Any movement will always follow renewed attention to the way His mind works.  

Chambers says it this way (https://utmost.org/do-it-yourself-2):

Paul said, according to the Moffatt translation of this verse, “…I take every project prisoner to make it obey Christ….” So much Christian work today has never been disciplined, but has simply come into being by impulse! In our Lord’s life every project was disciplined to the will of His Father. There was never the slightest tendency to follow the impulse of His own will as distinct from His Father’s will— “the Son can do nothing of Himself…” (John 5:19). Then compare this with what we do— we take “every thought” or project that comes to us by impulse and jump into action immediately, instead of imprisoning and disciplining ourselves to obey Christ.

Practical work for Christians is greatly overemphasized today, and the saints who are “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity” are criticized and told that they are not determined, and that they lack zeal for God or zeal for the souls of others. But true determination and zeal are found in obeying God, not in the inclination to serve Him that arises from our own undisciplined human nature. It is inconceivable, but true nevertheless, that saints are not “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity,” but are simply doing work for God that has been instigated by their own human nature, and has not been made spiritual through determined discipline.

We have a tendency to forget that a person is not only committed to Jesus Christ for salvation, but is also committed, responsible, and accountable to Jesus Christ’s view of God, the world, and of sin and the devil. This means that each person must recognize the responsibility to “be transformed by the renewing of [his] mind….” (Romans 12:2).

In counseling and psychology there is a line of research about how humans develop an understanding of what other people know, intend, feel, think, and believe.  Those working in this area of research talk about how we develop a "theory of mind."  This developmental advance is essential for being able to get along in a complex world.  We can know our own mind, but we also are able to grow to take another person's perspective and relate with another person "in mind," literally.  Our brains and bodies appear to be uniquely designed to attend to others in this way -- to experience ourselves and also others from within their own skin.   Researchers now know that a theory of mind begins to show up in children around age 4, unless hindered in some way.  It's one of those areas that tends to be delayed in children who are diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum.  

Chambers is suggesting in this excerpt from his classic devotional that we are designed to have a "theory of mind" for God, too.  We are made to think His thoughts with Him, be attuned to His feelings, catch his motivations and desires, and know what He knows (within limits, of course).  The Holy Spirit enables us to have this mind that was in Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:5).  We practice what Jesus practiced -- always living with the Father "in mind" (Jn. 8:29).  

That's what we are doing with CP -- practicing attunement with God.  We are embodying a theory of God's mind in those moments alone with Him.  When we sit quietly in the silence, practicing His presence, we are learning to resonate with Him.  To use a more physical/auditory metaphor, we are practicing being "in tune" -- vibrating at His frequency.  Pretty amazing, huh!!

[contemplative-prayer-collec-blog]

A Practical Testimony about CP from Jill

“Another benefit of centering prayer happened today!  I had to get an MRI of the brain and was sucked into the tube. In the past I’ve had a bit of anxiety about it, but today when she said, “It’ll take around 20 minutes”, I thought - perfect!  So, I focused on my sacred word, the time flew by, no anxiety about it.............. :) Just thought you may be interested in another CP example.” 

[contemplative-prayer-collec-blog]

“CP and the Necessity of Surrender” - Brian Russell

This week we have a video from Professor of Biblical Studies and Dean of the School of Urban Missions at Asbury “South” in Orlando, FL.  Brian has not only been practicing CP for some years now, but he is also teaching this contemplative prayer method in some of his Biblical Studies classes.  Here's a video offering in which he connects CP and "The Necessity of Surrender."  I hope you find it as instructive and helpful as I did.  Thanks Brian.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFd7e3zdZ0o

I also want to thank Linda Conner, Janine Damron, and Michael Neubert for their teaching and sharing in CO655.  Appreciate you all and your willingness to come to an 8 am class.  : )

[contemplative-prayer-collec-blog]

Our Offering to God -- Gene Yotka

Here's a post from ATS counseling alumnus, Gene Yotka, adapted from his newsletter, Awakenings.  He is currently serving as the director of The Awakening Institute in Cocoa, Florida.  His website is www.theawakeninginstitute.com.  Thanks, Gene, for allowing us to learn from your training and experience as a counselor, pastor, and spiritual director.

We must learn to live in a manner that is conducive to the development of a surrendered life before God. This is done by way of Spiritual Disciplines -- prayer,  meditation,  searching  the  Scriptures, silence  and  the  like.  We necessarily  learn  about  various ways, such as Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, the Jesus Prayer, the Prayer of Examen, Prayer of Quiet and many others.  These, as well as many others, have been transformational practices for  many, bringing countless people closer to the Lord. But there is one underlying mystical event that must occur for any spiritual discipline to be more than just something we do. There is a mystical point where something changes in our being, at the spirit/soul level, which in turn has a profound holy and transformational effect   on our minds and even our physicality. This change is by the grace of God, but it is not without  our participation and cooperation.  To practice the disciplined life of a Jesus follower is to allow God, who gifts us with an awareness of holy space in, though, and around us, which is primed by God’s grace for radical faith, which can only be defined as full and utter surrender to God’s will. This is what Jesus showed us on Gethsemane.  When  this occurs, we are given the ability to abide, in Christ, at  the deep center of who we are. Here we are given the ability to see God’s activity, and hear God’s voice in our center, in our spirit and soul. In this we are blessed with the gift of “letting go” of our very being as an offering to God. Our spiritual disciplines are designed to bring us to a point of “letting go”, that we may, quite naturally, effortlessly in fact, offer God our very being. Thus, a rule of life, which  includes  time proven  spiritual  disciplines is of  extreme  importance,  for it sets our mind, heart, and without knowing it, our very being, on Christ Jesus. But the perfection of these practices is not the   goal. For instance, we are not attempting to be professional pray-ers as much we are seeking to become prayer. We are not mere students of the Word, for our desire is  to be in the Word, in Christ Jesus.  The  differences can at time seem subtle but the difference between doing and being, practicing  spiritual disciplines and offering  our very being to God, is profound. In this we define God less with labels such as  good, fair, sweet, merciful, righteous, wise, almighty or even love. As accurate as these all are,we begin to realize the insufficiency of  such  labels, and  we allow all that we know and don’t know about God to form into a relational way of being that allows us to simply rest in the reality that God is. . . .

1 John 4: 16b-18:  “God is love, and all who live in love live in God, adn God lives in them.  And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect.  So we are not afraid on judgment day, but we can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world.  Such love has not fear because perfect love expels all fear.”